Caribbean must have one voice at Rio+20 Summit
MINISTER of Youth Empowerment and Sports in Grenada, Mr. Patrick Simmons has urged the Caribbean to “unite on issues that will affect the Region as a whole.” In that quest, he agreed with the Guyana position, as articulated by President Donald Ramotar at the same forum, that the Region must have “one voice” at the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), scheduled for later this month in Brazil.
Simmons was also speaking at the opening ceremony last Thursday of the one-day twenty-fourth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), convened by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
The Immediate Past Chairman of the CDCC, Simmons told the delegates: “In 2010, the spice island was happy to welcome you and, today, we have been happily welcomed to Guyana, which has a lot to be proud of.”
He reminded that the last time the CDCC met in Grenada, the average rate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Caribbean Sub-Region was 0.5 percent and, for 2012, it is predicted to grow by 2.7 percent on average.
“I am convinced that the progress being made in the Sub-Region could not have been possible without the efforts of organisations like ECLAC and gatherings such as this, where best practices are shared, concerns are heard and solutions are derived,” Simmons asserted.

OUR COMMITMENT
He continued: “Indeed, we live in a dynamic world where circumstances are always changing; what must not change is our commitment to work diligently to ensure that the Region’s economy match up to the aspirations of its people.”
Simmons observed that ECLAC has evolved from its beginning in 1948, to include the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), whose integration processes, coupled with developmental potentials, cannot be overlooked.
“Today, among other tasks, the CDCC will evaluate the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the services provided by ECLAC to the Caribbean. I sincerely look forward to endorsing measures that will assist ECLAC in its work,” he said.
Simmons noted that the discussions entertained during the Caribbean Development Roundtable (CDR), which was conducted last week Wednesday, were to be considered at the meeting where he spoke and expressed confidence that contributions there can guide the commission’s work in the Region.
“Additionally, the fact that we are to review macro-economic policies for structural transformation and social protection in small States is extremely relevant as the recent crisis has shown the best economic policies are insufficient if society’s most vulnerable groups are not protected,” he posited.
Simmons said: “We all endeavour to create safety nets that empower our citizens so that their dignity is maintained and they can contribute to society and to our economies.”
Towards that aim, he said Grenada, in recognising the importance of empowering its citizens, has embarked upon a new safety net initiative ‘Support for Education, Empowerment and Development’ and it has replaced three others which were not sustainable and did not meet the needs of the people.

KEY FACTOR
“Beyond that, in addition to the obvious importance of the productive workforce, the productivity of human capital is also a key factor when trying to attract investments,” Simmons underscored.
He said it is with that in mind that the Government of Grenada created a free school book programme as well as free Mathematics, English Language, Science and Information Technology books to secondary school students, in 2008, with coverage extending to all primary schoolchildren.
“It is important to note that our fiscal space is limited, but we are convinced that carefully thought out policies are crucial to Grenada’s development and the social well-being of its people,” Simmons explained.
He said: “I have no doubt that we all share the vision to see the Region develop to its fullest potential. However, the recent economic crisis and the indebtedness of our countries place tremendous pressures on governments to maintain social safety nets.”
According to him, the issue of social safety nets is one close to his heart and he cited International Labour Organisation (ILO) statistics which showed that unemployment in the Region is, usually, highest among the population between ages 25 and 34 years.
He argued: “If our young people cannot find jobs, surely this would affect the Region’s overall productivity.”
Focusing on investment attractions, Simmons said Grenada has identified five transformational sectors for its developments and, recently, launched its Investment Generation Strategy for the years 2012-2016.
He said ECLAC reported, last month, that Latin America and the Caribbean received over US$153 billion from foreign direct investment in 2011, which represents 10 percent of the global total flow and, although this figure is expected to rise this year, the growing repatriation of profits from transnational corporations investing in the Region means that “our celebration has to be somewhat measured.”

DIRECT INVOLVEMENT
Simmons said recent consultations with stakeholders in Grenada highlighted the strong desire for Grenadians to have a direct involvement in opportunities in the country.
“When we speak here of Grenadians, we also speak of Grenadians in the Diaspora who have expressed interest in investing in their homeland,” he elaborated.
Simmons said: “In my view, there is no better way to show confidence in our economies than to invest in it ourselves.”
Alluding to sustainable development to combat vulnerabilities, he offered: “It is true that our economies are susceptible to external shocks and efforts are being made to diversify our economy. However, the issue of climate change and rising sea level threatens to reduce our efforts if we do not act swiftly to adapt to and mitigate the effects.”
He insisted that, in today’s reality, one cannot treat sustainable development while ignoring climate change and said the Mauritius Strategy is the only global one to address, specifically and exclusively, the problems of the island States.
Simmons advocated that the work of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism must be facilitated in this regard.
“I invite you, dear colleagues, to unite on issues that will affect the Region as a whole. We must have one voice in the upcoming Rio+20 meetings and we must endeavour to use the expertise of the sub-region headquarters of ECLAC,” he urged.
Simmons said:”As a region, we have great potential. We know there are deficiencies but we are committed to solving them together.”